Sectional hinged fold holder



June 28, 1949. F. w. STEINMEYER 2,474,552

' SECTIONAL HINGED FOLD HOLDER Filed July 51, 1945 INVENTOR ikzpzzzczr Wfrmvmzmz ATTORNEYS Patented June 28, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SECTIONAL HINGED FOLD HOLDER Frederick W. Steinzncyer, Oakland, Calif.

Application July 31, 1945, Serial No. 608,069

7 Claims.

1 An object of my invention is to provide a sectional hinged fold holder which is an improvement over my patent on a Drapery fold holder, No. 2,212,055, issued August, 20, 1940. In my While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without patent I disclose a strip of bendable material, 5 departing from the spirit and scope of the insuch as lead, and the strip is placed in the botvention.

tom hem of a drape or curtain and then curved In carrying out my invention, I provide a flexin the desired manner for giving the desired fold ibl-e casing indicated generaI y at A in igure 4. to the curtain or drape. The strip holds the The casing may be of any length desired and is shape into which it has been curved or bent and tubular so as to receive sectional wei d will hold the curtain or drape in the desired numcated generally at B. The sectional weights are her of folds. The strip will also act as a weight shown as being rectangular in shape, although for holding the lower end of the curtain or drape I do not wish to be confined to any particular down. shape.

In the present form of the invention, I have de- The pp d edges I and 2 o djac Weights signed a sectional hinged fold holder which will B are spaced from each other so that the fabric provide the necessary weight for the curtain or p t 3 0 the cas that c nnec s t e Wei t drape and in which the sections will provide folds at e edges l and 2 W constitute a hingeof uniform width for the curtain or drape. The fic e t length of casing must be provided between advantage of making the device in sections and the edges l and 2 to permit the Sectional We t hinging them together will permit the curtain or to hinge e y With respect to c e cdrape to be moved from closed to open position tion alone may be resorted to between the flexible or vice Versa and still maintain its folds during casing A nd e s i n l W s B to h ld th this movement. The device can be used on curweights against longitudinal movement within tains or drapes which are not opened or closed. 5 the casing. On the other hand, the weights y The device will give a little more freedom to the be secured in place by Stitching t ow y bottom of the curtain or drape so that the rigidity Other Suitable fastening s. e ends I and of the folds will not be so apparent and set. 2 of each weight B are curved in opposite direc- A further object of my invention is to provide tion for a purpose now to be describeda device of the type described which is simple in Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that I proconstruction and which may be made of any vide a curtain or drape at C. The lower edge length desired. Eachsection of the device can of the drape or curtain is provided with a hem have its ends curved slightly in opposite directions indicated generally at 4 and the hem is large for aiding in forming the fold in the curtain or enough to receive the flexible casing A. The drape. 5 length of the casing A is made equal to the width Other objects and advantages will appear in of the curtain or drape C. The length of each the following specification, and the novel features sectional weight B is determined y e Widt o of the device will be particularly pointed out in the folds 5 desired and this depends upon the the appended claims. wish of the person using the device.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanyin 40 At the top of the curtain or drape C, I show drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a window and a traverse rod showing my device applied to the lower hem of a curtain or drape, the left hand panel showing the device in collapsed position and the right hand panel showing it in extended position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device on a larger scale and showing it in extended posi- Y tion;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but shows the device collapsed; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention.

a traverse rod D and the curtain or drape C is operatively connected thereto in the usual manner. Draw strings 6 0nd I are used in connection with the curtain or drape C and when pulled will open or close the drape. For purposes of clarity, I have shown the right hand drape C covering its portion of the window E while the left hand drape or curtain Cl is shown in a collapsed position. In actual practice, a pull on the right string 6 or 1, will simultaneously collapse the two curtain or drape panels C and CI to uncover the window or will simultaneously move them toward each other for covering the window.

The sectional weights B shown in Figure 1 determine the width and shape of the folds 5 and the top of the curtain or drape is provided with similar folds, so that the folds in the curtain or drape will extend vertically from the top to the bottom thereof.

Many modifications of the sectional weights and their manner of hinging together can loe designed and I have shown one modified form in Figures 2 and 3. Here the sectional weights F are in the shape of hollow rectangular links and these links are hinged together by strings or flexible cords 8 and 9. This arrangement does away with the flexible casing A and the device can be placed in the hem 4 of the curtain or drape C and Cl and will function in the same manner as that described for the form of the devic shown in Figure 4.

It is possible to have the sectional Weights in the form of cylindrical segments of the desired length with a cord or flexible member extending through the centers of the cylinders and hinged- I 1y connecting the segments together. The device is simple in construction and will not only provide the necessary weight for the curtain or drape but will also maintain the desired Width for the folds at all times whether the drape or curtain is extended or collapsed.

The opposite curving of the ends of the sections B or F produces a curvature in the fold of the drape or curtain which will enhance its appearance; There will be less likelihood for the section ends to wear out the curtain or drape when the sections have their opposite ends curved in the manner disclosed.

I claim:

1. A drape comprising a sheet of material adapted to be hung in a plurality of folds at the top and having a hem at the bottom, and a sectional hinged bar pocketed in the hem and weighting the hem to draw the material fairly taut, said sectional hinged bar being substantially coextensive in length with the length of the hem, the sections of the bar determining the width of the folds at the bottom and causing these to match the folds at the top and thus establish a succession of flutes full length of said drape from top to bottom.

2. A sectional hinged fold holder comprising a plurality of sections of a predetermined length, means for hinging the sections together at their ends, the ends of each section being curved slightly in opposite directions, said fold holder being receivable in a drape lower hem and the sections determining the width and the shape of the folds of the drape.

3. The combination with a traverse rod and a traverse curtain supported by the rod and being movable from opento closed position, the curtain having folds formed therein at its top and having a hem at its bottom, of a sectional hinged fold holder placed in the hem and comprising a plurality of sections jointed together, the ends of each section being curved slightly in opposite directions, the length of the sections determining the width and the shape of the folds at the bottom of the curtain and causing these to match the folds at the top to thus establish a succession of flutes full length of said curtain from top to bottom.

4. A sectional hinged fold holder comprising a flexible elongated casing, and a plurality of rigid members arranged Within the casing and spaced from each other, the casing acting as a hinge between adjacent members, said members having their ends curved in opposite directions so that adjacent ends of adjacent members will curve toward each other and produce a sinuous configuration from the members.

5. A sectional hinged fold holder comprising a plurality of tubular weighted members of a predetermined length, and a flexible cord extending lengthwise through the members and interconnecting the latter so that they can swing with respect to each other, said members having their ends curved in opposite directions so that adjacent ends of adjacent members will curve toward each other and produce a sinuous configuration from the members".

6. A drape or the like comprising a sheet of material adapted to be hung in a plurality of folds at the top, and a sectional hinged bar supported by the bottom portion of the sheet and having sufficient weight to draw the material fairly taut, adjacent sections of the bar being freely swingable relative to one another to give at least some freedom of. movement to the bottom of the drape so that rigidity of the folds will not be apparent, said sectional bar being substantially coextensive in length with the width of the sheet, the sections of the bar determining the width of the folds'at the bottom and causing them to match the folds at the top and thus establish a succession of flutes full length of said drapes from top to bottom.

'7. A sectional hinged fold holder comprising a plurality of tubular weighted members arranged in end-to-end relation; the member having sufficient weight to maintain a fluted drape or the like at least fairly taut when the drape is suspended from its upper end and the members are attached to the lower end of the drape; and a flexible cord extending lengthwise through the interior of the members and interconnecting the members so that they can swing with respect to each other to give at least some freedom to the bottom of the drape so that rigidity of the flutes will not be apparent.

FREDERICK W. STEINMEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 359,896 Shinn Mar. 22, 1887 661,608 Holtzclaw Nov. 13, 1900 2,212,055 Steinmeyer Aug. 20, 1940 2,238,891 Cohen Apr. 22, 1941 2,366,986 Siden Jan, 9, 1945 

